On April 4, 2019, two disability rights groups hosted a panel presentation at the Nova Scotia Legislature to highlight the human rights crisis affecting people with disabilities in Nova Scotia as a result of the Province’s chronic failure to fulfill its obligations to provide supports and services in the community.
The Disability Rights Coalition released an open letter to the Premier signed by individuals and organisations representing thousands of Nova Scotians, calling for the government to take immediate action to meet its human rights obligations.
The panel, which included Donnie MacLean, Jeannie Whidden, Barb Horner and Jen Powley, called upon the government to live up to its responsibility and take immediate action to correct this wrong and historic human rights violation of the rights of people with disabilities.
Speakers noted that as a human rights issue, this transcends political affiliations and called on all our elected representatives to lend their support for immediate action, by way of legislated multi year funding. Representatives of all political parties were invited to attend the panel presentation. Sue Leblanc of the NDP and Barbara Adams of the Progressive Conservatives attended and spoke of their respective party’s support for immediate government action to address this issue.
The Premier met privately with Donnie LeBlanc ahead of the panel presentation. Mr. MacLean reported to the assembled group that the Premier promised to respond with a plan of action following his return from an upcoming trip to Europe.
The event was live streamed to a facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/nsndp/videos/2344185848973776/
or you can listen to the audio of the event